Trump boasts Iran's navy is 'all at the bottom' as Epic Fury downs 58 ships in 2 days

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Friday, March 20, highlighted what he described as major US military success in Iran, pointing to the results of Operation Epic Fury during remarks at the White House.

Speaking at an event honoring the US Navy Midshipmen football team, Trump claimed that Iranian naval forces had been effectively destroyed.

He also addressed ongoing tensions, including efforts to communicate with the Iranian leadership. The comments came amid continued conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in the region.

Trump claims 58 Iranian ships sunk in two days

During his remarks, Trump began by emphasizing the progress of US operations in Iran. “I want to begin by just saying we’re doing extremely well in Iran,” he said, framing the campaign as a decisive military effort.

He went on to claim that Iran’s naval capabilities had been significantly reduced. “The difference between them and us is they had a navy two weeks ago. They have no navy anymore. It’s all at the bottom of the sea,” Trump stated.

He further specified the scale of the reported operation, adding, “58 ships knocked down in 2 days.”

Trump also reiterated the administration’s stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, stating, “We’re not going to let them have nuclear weapons because if they had them, they’d use them, and we’re not going to let that happen.”

The president additionally commented on Iran’s military equipment, saying the country had access to “Russian equipment, Chinese equipment,” and “plenty of money,” but argued that such resources were ineffective against US forces.

“But the equipment was useless against us,” he said. Trump also praised senior defense officials for their roles in the operation, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen Dan Caine, stating they were doing a “great job” overseeing military efforts.

Trump claims no leaders left in Iran for talks

In addition to discussing military developments, Trump addressed the status of diplomatic engagement with Iran. He said the United States had attempted to reach out to the Iranian leadership but faced challenges due to the reported loss of key figures. 

“Their leaders are all gone,” Trump said. “The next set of leaders are all gone. And the next set of leaders are mostly gone. And now, nobody wants to be a leader over there anymore.”

He added that the lack of identifiable leadership has complicated communication efforts. “We’re having a hard time, we want to talk to them, and there’s nobody to talk to. We have nobody to talk to,” Trump said, before concluding, “And you know what, we like it that way.”